Fractured Echoes
by Andrithir
Summary: Adam Shepard died in 2186, believing he ended the war against the Reapers. Kara Shepard finds him on the Collector Ship in 2185, and learns he died four years earlier.


**Foreword**

This is the refined replacement of Clairvoyant. I've changed and expanded a few things and edited certain parts of the story.

 **Author's note**

I use the King's English (i.e. UK English), putting that out there just so there's no confusion from someone who learnt American English and believes that the fic is littered with typos, but if you do find typos, please let me know. No matter how many times I read through it, there's always something I've missed.

…

 **Prologue**

…

 **Audio Message  
0020hrs – November 5** **th** **, 2186 (Standard Alliance Military Calendar)  
From: Commander Adam Winston Shepard  
To: Rear Admiral Hannah Eve Shepard**

 **Begin**

 _Hi, mum… just calling in, and – uh – I guess you're busy._

 **[Clears throat]**

 _I'm recording this message for you in case anything goes wrong. I'm in England right now, not too far away from Royal – home sweet home. We're prepping for the final assault on London, and… I'm scared._

 _In a few hours, our futures will be decided. Everyone here is ready to give it all they got – we all know they stakes. We know who we've lost. Despite how optimistic everyone is… I can't help but shake the feeling that this will be the end… for me. It's been one hell of a ride… and it has to end, right?_

 _Sometimes I wonder what dad would say – I miss him. I wonder how different my life would've been if I'd decided to settle down with Sarah, but everything I've done in life has led to this moment._

 _Somehow, I know the final push, the final decision, it all lies with me and the Catalyst and the Crucible. What_ an _honour, right?_ **[Scoffs]** _What an honour. Maybe this is the way it has to be, the way how my story has to end. Guess there's no better way to go out than with your boots on._

 **[Breathes deeply]**

 _One hell of ride, huh? Remember what you and dad told me about Orson Welles? That a happy ending all depends on where you stop telling the story? Well, when you tell everyone about my story, tell them about a brat that wanted to do right, signed up and became Commander Shepard just in time to help stop the Reapers. Then end it there._

 _That should keep everyone smiling. That should keep Melanie happy._

 _Take care, mum. I love you. If I don't see you before I see dad. I'll say hi and tell him you love him._

 _Bye mum, all the best._

 **End**

…

 **London  
Earth**

The Skymaster shuttle maintained a low altitude as it approached the LZ. Fighters flew CAS missions around the clocking, desperately trying to clear a bath. A flak round exploded nearby, bashing the dropship. The vessel shuddered, and its occupants jolted.

Commander Adam Shepard walked around the hold, trying to calm his nerves. His heart ached and hammered in his chest. His back pricked with heat as the nape of his neck pooled with blood.

 _Fear_ – he knew the sensation all too well.

" _Coming up on the drop,"_ the pilot announced over the PA. _"One minute."_

"One minute," the Marines chorused.

Shepard moved to the right control panel and Major Kaidan Alenko to the left. At Adam's signal, both of them turned the levers. The hold began to rumble as air hissed out as the ramp descended.

The Commander crouched by the hydraulics and looked out into the dark night sky, then below, and finally the engines on the wings. He gave the thumbs up to the Marines. One by one, the MASODs lined up, and began jogging on the spot.

 _Five seconds…_

Lights flashed green, without hesitation, the Marines surged forward in unison and leapt out of the hold.

"See you on the ground, Fleetie," First Lieutenant Ellen Daniels smirked.

Adam rolled his eyes, the Marines loved to rib anyone who wasn't part of their corp. Shepard and Alenko had the luxury of attending the Royal Military Academy in London. Under the tutelage of asari commandos, the two had practically jumped straight into the Naval Academy before attending N-School without going into Marine Boot.

"Ready?" Shepard clicked over the COMs.

Alenko nodded.

Pushing off with his strong leg, Adam's body flared blue for a split second as he launched himself out of the shuttle. The air whipped past his helmet as he dove after the Marines.

Entering the cloud cover, Shepard's word began to darken as snow whipped against his visor. Eventually, he broke out of the cloud cover and saw the faint silhouettes of the MASODs below.

 _Pull chute_ …

Adam's fingers curled around the ripcord, wrenching with enough force, he felt his body come to a jarring "halt". It was like running into a brick wall with that kind of deceleration. Black canopies popped out from below, their users gliding into position.

Checking his GPS, Shepard maintained his course heading, before being picked up by the winds. Pulling on a cord, he made a course correction.

He could see the base spire that led to the citadel, emitting the column of light high into the sky. The surrounding area was stripped bear, leaving nothing but an open killing field.

Shepard touched down on an apartment block, reeled in his chute and unclipped the harness. Shouldering his rifle, he panned back and forth the skyline, scanning the area for any snipers or stragglers. FoF tags began to appear on his HUD, Alliance Marines were just a klick north of his position, and Kaidan had landed on the adjacent building.

"We're clear for now," Shepard said into the COMs.

" _Got it, coming to you,"_ Alenko responded.

Kaidan took a running jump and leapt over the alleyway. He used his biotics for a boost, and landed softly on the other side.

" _Shepard, this is Daniels, what's your location, over?"_

"We're moving to ground level, meet you at the rally point," Adam responded.

"Solid copy, we'll see you there."

Moving down the dust covered stairs as swiftly as they could, the two N7s soon found themselves on the war torn streets of London. Rubble littered the streets, and naked flames coughed columns of smoke high into the night sky, but there were no bodies. The Reapers were _clean_ like that.

Adam and Kaidan leap frogged down the road, remaining close to the walls, but not too close in case of ricochets.

" _ScreehhhheAAAAAAAAAAY!"_

"Aww hell," Kaidan groaned.

Shepard hated that noise, the droning of Marauders, the screech of Ravagers, and the screams of Banshees.

The two sentinels deployed turrets and drones, hunkering down behind a crashed skycar. Adam checked his weapon, and flicked the safeties off. He rested his grip-pod on the box garden wall, and aimed down the street.

He could see the air waiver and warble, the bright blue flashes of the banshee. He moved his hand to the grenade launcher, and rested his finger on the guard.

Beside him, Alenko readied his Omni-tool, cycling through offensive modules.

"On my mark," Adam said coolly.

The Reaper forces came into view, ambling across the street that was once Savel Row.

"Mark!"

Leaping from cover, Alenko unleashed a barrage of attacks. A cryo blast, followed by a pyro orb ripped the lead cannibal into ribbons. Stunned, the Reapers were open to attack. Adam followed up with an overload, taking out a Marauder's shields.

The two N7s lay down a barrage of heavy and accurate fire from their powerful rifles. Cannibals scampered to cover, but the rounds easily punched through cinder blocks. Marauders strafed with unnerving accuracy, forcing Adam back into cover.

The drones began to fan out and lock down the flankers, buying precious time for Shepard's shield to recharge.

Alenko propelled himself forward, hoping to throw off the Reapers' attack. Adam followed in closely behind laying down suppressive fire.

He threw himself behind a garden box, just as a blood red shot sailed over his head, and slammed into a pillar. Concrete rained down on the road as bullets peppered the ground around them. Quickly leaning out of cover, Shepard fired his grenade. The explosive shell soared through the air, and found its mark in a Ravager.

The sac burst, spraying acid and swarmers onto the road, then the round exploded. The Ravager was torn apart in a cloud of smoke and gore. The swarmers crushed by the blast.

"Banshee closing in!" Alenko roared.

The second Ravager came into the field of fire, and began hammering away at their cover. They were pinned, and the Banshee was tightening the noose. Never go toe to toe with one, they're strong enough to pick up a krogan warlord and run him through with their hands.

Kaidan generated a singularity within the Reaper ranks, plucking the helpless Cannibals off the ground. He then followed with a powerful biotic shockwave. The air along the ground exploded in a channel of violet, unhindered. Enemy troops were tossed like ragdolls, flailing through the air.

The Banshee screamed and staggered under the biotic explosion.

Adam concentrated fire, aiming squarely at the head. He threw a warp bolt at the Banshee, engulfing the twisted asari in a fiery blue flame that ripped away her barriers. Another biotic bolt came into contact, and bloomed blue with savage energy. The troops around her were eviscerated, and the Banshee came crumbled, dissolving into blackened embers.

"Still got that Ravager," Adam said. "I'll draw fire. When that crab stops to reload. Unload!"

"Got it!"

Removing the saturated thermal magazine, and stuffing it into his pouch, Adam swiftly replaced it. He slid the fresh thermal mag into the receiver with a satisfying click, and leaned out of cover. Squeezing the trigger, he fired a trio of rounds at the Ravager.

The Reaper unit hobbled to face, and unleashed a salvo.

Adam quickly brought up his Omni-shield, protecting him from the shower of sparks and debris as he pulled back. He waited for the pause in firing before advancing again. The Ravager reengaged, with another barrage of rounds.

Shepard swore inwardly as he felt the blast rippling through him. He rose from cover again, and fired another burst, scoring a hit on the sacs.

Kaidan moved right, behind a crashed shuttle, and hurled a pyro blast. The ember orb encased the Ravager in flame, burning away at whatever flesh there was. The creature screeched in pain, and melted into a pile of acidic goop.

Then, everything was quiet once more.

"No Brutes," Adam commented.

"Don't jinx it."

The operatives recalled their drones, picked up their turrets, and made their way to the RV.

The rally point was in a looted supermarket. The glass windows had been smashed in, the shelves ransacked, only the datapads and computers were left where they were.

Alliance Marines were already waiting for them when they arrived. It was time to get to the firebase, link up with the rest of the Normandy team, and get to work.

…

 **London  
Assault on the Spiral**

There was no banter, no talking, no laughter, just the eerie rumble of the engines and radio chatter. What was there to say? This was it, the moment that would determine if the cycle should continue or be broken.

Shepard didn't know what to say. He was never short on words, never short on how to inspire, but today, at this very moment, he had nothing. He had done the very best he could to pull everyone through this war, now it was time to see whether if it all paid off.

"We're coming up on the RV," the Mako driver said. "Good luck, boys and girls."

He felt the tank come to a halt and heard the locks hissing as the hatch opened. The sound of distant battle rushed in to greet him as he and his team climbed out. He had said his goodbyes to those who weren't here, a small part of him said that he wasn't going to be coming back.

Stepping out onto the cracked asphalt, he looked up at the clouded night sky and the obelisk of light standing in the centre of an open grave. That was where they would all be going, and on the other side he could see Harbinger and the Reapers land.

"Move fast, keep your head down, and hopefully… we'll make it," Adam said.

"Hopefully," James muttered.

"Good luck, everyone."

He walked to the base of the mound and crawled up the slope to where Major Coates and Admiral Anderson were. They had their focus on plotting the best way to get to the base of the node, but it looked hopeless.

"They're going to slaughter us out there," Coates said grimly.

"They all volunteered for this, let's make sure their sacrifices count," Anderson added with equal measure. "Adam, any ideas?"

Looking across the site with his blue eyes, Adam wondered if they could call in some kind of distraction. He knew the spiral was jamming targeting systems, but if the _Normandy_ could act as a signal relay, then it could feasible work.

"Call in bombardment, might buy us enough time to make the run."

"But the Spiral's interference," Coates gestured.

"I'll get _Normandy_ in to help boost the signal."

Turning to his men, Coates gestured for the ETACs to call in fire support with their laser designator.

"Normandy, this is Shepard," Adam broadcasted. "I need you to come in as a signal booster, do you copy?"

" _Copy that Commander,"_ Joker answered.

He could hear the anguish and fret in the pilot's voice. Jeff always knew the gravity of the situation, more than he let on.

Moving back to his team, Shepard awaited the final go.

" _All battlegroup elements, advance on the spiral. I repeat, advance on the spiral. Good luck everyone,"_ Anderson channelled.

"Let's go! Let's go!" troops bellowed.

The men and women roared out of the ruins of London and onto open ground. Tanks thundered in front, kicking up dirt in their wake. Reaper ground units emerged from the earth and counter charged the assault force. But despite their numbers, they fell to the onslaught of artillery.

"Target the Reapers," Shepard ordered.

The _Normandy_ flew onto the field and boosted the signal up to available fleet units. Joker threw the ship into a merciless spiral to avoid Reaper fire, whilst providing guns. Fireballs rippled across the massive demonic ships, hazing out sensors. The Reapers began to aim wildly, fiery red lances stabbing the field. Men vaporised in a heartbeat, vehicles were overturned and reduced to slag.

"Shepard. Incoming!" Kaidan shouted.

Adam looked left, just to see a red lance reach for him. He quickly dashed right, his biotics propelling him out of harm's way – just. The heat washed over him, blistering his skin and singing his armour.

"Shit," he cursed, seeing his sensors taken out.

His team; they weren't so lucky, but they were still alive. He quickly double backed for Kaidan and Vega, grabbing their harnesses and dragging them to a carter.

"Normandy, come in!" Shepard barked. "I need you to come in and pick up the wounded."

" _Copy that, Commander,"_ Joker answered.

The stealth frigate stopped its gun runs and hovered over the field. The main hangar doors opened, and Marines poured out to collect the injured.

Grabbing a hold of Kaidan, Adam helped his long-time friend onto his feet and towards the ship.

"Shepard, I can still fight," he breathed.

"Don't…"

"Shepard, don't do this," Kaidan pleaded, clutching his bleeding side.

"You're going to be okay," Shepard said, ignoring him. " _Normandy_ is yours, take good care of her."

"Dammit Adam!"

Assured that his team was all on board, he descended the ramp in a full sprint. Running past injured soldiers falling back to safety.

"Wave off _Normandy_ … get them out of here, Joker," Shepard channelled.

" _NO!"_ Jeff cried.

"DO IT! That's an order. Keep them safe."

The pilot offered no reply, just a saddened silence.

" _It's been an honour, Shepard."_

"It's been an honour, Jeff. Good luck."

Riding a stream of cobalt light, Adam leapt across the battlefield, jumping from cannibal to cannibal. His rifle spewed out death. He fired in sustained burst for full effect. This time, he was going to make it count, this time, he was going to end it.

He dug his armoured boots into the ground, and came to a halt at an overturned tank. Admiral Anderson was barking orders whilst advancing under the hellish fire.

"Shepard, did anyone else make it?"

"They got hit," Adam answered. "Ordered the _Normandy_ to pull them out."

"Then let's finish this!"

Shepard took the lead like any good sentinel would. He was the shield and support. Charging across the field, they eventually made it to the spiral. Calling in fire support had been a good move; it distracted the Reapers enough so that people could make it to the eerie spire.

…

This room was not what he had expected. It was totally unguarded, but the piles of bodies and the dull red lights sent chills down his spine.

"God, that smell," Anderson coughed. "Come on, we've got to get to the control room."

Adam was thankful that he had his helmet and air filters on.

Following along the path, Shepard kept his rifle raised and sightlines clear. No telling when a husk might jump him. Looking at the rows of corpses, Adam could tell that most were civilians from all walks of life. There were also Alliance soldiers amongst them, but they were few and far in between.

"Good god," Anderson coughed.

Upon leaving the dark hallway, Shepard felt relief flood him as he and entered a large chasm, with a staircase stretching to the centre. Quickly, they made their way across the catwalk stretching over a field of shifting panels which reminded him of the Shadow Broker's ship.

Eventually they reached the main room, overlooking the rest of the Citadel.

"Shepard, the console requires dual commands," Anderson said. "On my mar…"

 _Gunshot._

David keeled over and slammed into the console, a bullet digging into his lower back. Shepard quickly whipped around, just as a modified round overloaded his shields. A small sense of satisfaction filled him when he found that The Illusive Man was on the receiving end of his pistol. Without hesitation he squeezed the trigger and watched the heavy round of the M-11 rip through _Little Timmy's_ shoulder.

The Cerberus Leader crashed to the ground, clutching his wound. Shepard looked at the half-Reaperfied man with disgust, before rushing over to Anderson.

"I'm good," David wheezed.

Adam quickly applied a salve of Medi-gel onto the wound to stave off shock and blood loss. He then returned to the console and activated the opening controls.

"On my go," Shepard said. "Three, two, one, go."

Both men turned the nodes. The panel pulsed and a slight shudder could be felt as the arms parted, revealing the tumultuous naval battle. Fighters were locked in a vicious game, while ships exchanged laser fire, kinetic attacks and missiles. Hundreds of debris in orbit belonged to the Reapers, but an even greater number belonged to the allied Armada.

Turning around to face the Illusive Man, Shepard knelt beside him and looked him straight in the eye.

"Why? After all this?" Adam growled. "You knew the risks."

"You can't reason with a Reaper pawn, Shepard."

Before venturing into the Collector Base, Shepard had a cold and grudging respect for the Illusive Man. But seeing the brutal experiments that went unchecked, and reading the orders he'd given to Cerberus soldiers – that respect withered and died.

"We needed to evolve, otherwise we'd die. We must harness the Reaper's power…"

"Bullshit!" Adam argued. "They've had millions of years to adapt. Millions! You're just one man, we're just one species. They control you!"

"I wish you could see it Shepard, everything… perfect. That's what I wanted for humanity."

Adam sighed, shaking his head and pulling himself up.

"Look, the Crucible is docking," Anderson gestured.

Shepard could see the core dock beneath the control tower while arms locked into place. Flickering his eyes over to the console, he could see the Crucible and the Citadel's systems perform a successful synchronisation.

" _Shepard, the Crucible is not firing. It must be something on your end,"_ Hackett's voice crackled.

"Copy, we're on it."

Just as the COM channel was terminated, a cloud of white spiralled into a small humanoid form. A boy, the very same he had tried to save at Vancouver.

"I am the Catalyst," he said. His voice was that of a child, but with a man and a woman echoing him. "Follow me."

Not wanting to take any risks, Shepard decided to drag the Illusive Man with him. Anderson grabbed the other arm, and hauled the Head of Cerberus onto the platform. The panel carried them up to a higher level, where a blue glow dominated one half of the room, and red on the other side.

The place commanded a 360 view of the cosmos around them.

"What is this place?" Shepard asked.

"This is where you will choose," the AI said.

"Choose what?"

"The fate of this cycle. To your left it is the destruction of the Reapers and all synthetics, and then the uprising of the machines will happen again. To your right is to control the Reapers, but you must sacrifice your form to do so…"

Shepard looked down at the Illusive Man and shook his head.

"He cannot," the AI pointed. "He is already within our thralls."

"Is there another solution?"

"Yes," the Catalyst nodded, gesturing to the centre. "Commit a live form to the beam, and you can create a new hybrid race of synthetics and organics amongst those whom already exist."

There was the solution for a new future, a new hope. A smile spread across Adam's lips.

"Shepard, send me into it… the beam," the Illusive Man whispered. "Let me do this one last thing for humanity."

Adam looked at Anderson, whom returned with a nod.

"It makes no difference," the Catalyst said.

Slowly they hauled the Illusive Man to the ledge, and of his own accord, the Head of Cerberus leapt into the beam, changing it emerald.

" _Commander, whatever you've done has worked. The Crucible is firing."_

The column of light increased in intensity and pulsed stronger. A loud whine and screech of metal rocked through the room. Huge chunks of debris fell and crashed through the catwalks. High voltage wiring were severed and sent sparks flying.

"Dammit, this place is falling apart!" Anderson cried.

"We gotta move," Adam beckoned as he sprinted back.

But having barely taken a few steps, he felt an unseen force pluck him from the ground and flung across the room. An emerald light filled his vision… until blackness greeted him.

…

" _I watched my best friend bleed out, I could hear him wheezing. He had a collapsed lung. I kept telling him to hang on, and that help was coming. When I got back home, we buried empty caskets."  
_ _ **\- First Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko (Marine) to Lieutenant Commander Kara Shepard (Navy)**_

…

 **2185 (Mass Effect 2)  
Collector Ship**

The Collector ship was cold, floating listlessly in space. As the shuttle hatch opened, Commander Kara Shepard raised her rifle and stepped onto the derelict ship.

"I love what they've done with the place," Garrus drawled uneasily.

"Looks like my ex-wife's arsehole," Zaeed added.

"Creepy," Kasumi breathed.

Panning her eyes across the amalgamation of rock, metal and bio matter, Shepard cringed inwardly as an icy hand gripped her stomach. She hated insects.

" _Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks,"_ EDI announced over the COMs. _"Marking the location to your hardsuit computer."_

A navpoint appeared on her HUD as she moved deeper into the catacombs.

" _Shepard, I've compared the ship's EM signature to known Collector profiles. It is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."_

"Maybe the defence towers softened it for the turians," Shepard wondered.

"The missing colonists might be on board," Garrus said. "They could still be alive."

"You don't sound too hopeful," Shepard interjected.

"These are Collectors," Zaeed reminded, "I don't think they're the pet keeping type."

Moving up to a pod, Kara peered inside.

"Empty," she said, shaking her head.

"Looks like the ones on Horizon," Massani remarked.

"Horrible," Garrus said sympathetically. "Trapped in these pods, completely at the mercy of the Collectors."

"Promise me something, if I'm about to be taken by Collectors… blow me up," Kasumi demanded flatly.

"Could be a problem if you get taken," Shepard added with a smirk. "I don't know where you are half the time."

The team pressed on deeper into the confines of the ship, navigating through the cave like halls.

"This looks bad," Garrus whispered.

Shepard saw the pile of bodies, placed haphazardly on top of one another like slaughtered animals. Some must've been there for weeks, the bones jutting through the sludge soaked clothes. If it weren't for her oxygen-rebreather, Kara would've gagged and thrown up her dinner.

"Why would the Collectors leave a pile of bodies lying around?" Zaeed questioned.

"Must've been used for testing," Vakarian speculated. "I'd say these subjects didn't pass."

"There are worse things than death," Shepard mused, looking at the bodies. "Like being used as a test subject for twisted aliens."

"You're probably right," Garrus agreed. "Doesn't feel much better though."

"This galaxy never gets any brighter, does it?" Massani deadpanned.

"My request… still stands," Goto added.

Leaving the bodies behind, Kara lead the team through another series of mazes, before entering an area filled with pipes and display consoles. There were a battery of pods, arranged in a semi-circle, all hooked to a larger conduit of pipes and cable that disappeared off in the misty fog.

"One of the pods has a body… a Collector," Shepard gestured as she hacked into a console.

"Why would they experiment on one of their own?" Zaeed wondered.

Glancing down at her Omni-tool, she saw that the data transfer was complete.

"EDI," Kara said, keying her mic. "I'm uploading the data from this terminal. See if you can figure what they were up to."

" _Data received,"_ the AI responded. _"Analysing. The Collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species' and humanity's."_

"Are they looking for similarities?" Shepard asked, perplexed.

" _I have no hypothesis on their motivations; all I have are the preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable."_

Kara could swear that she heard EDI's voice rise in genuine surprise – breaking away from her monotonous tone.

" _A quad strand genetic structure, identical to ancient ruins. Only one race is known to have this structure… The Protheans."_

"My god," Shepard whispered. "The Protheans didn't vanish… they're just working for the Reapers now."

" _These are no longer Protheans, Shepard,"_ EDI said in an almost consoling tone. _"Their genes show distinct signs of genetic rewrite. The Reapers have repurposed them to suit their needs."_

"You'd think somebody would've picked up on this," Kara murmured.

" _No one has had a chance to study Collector genetics in this detail,"_ EDI supplied. _"I've already matched two thousand alleles to recorded fragments. This Collector likely descends from a Prothean colony in the Styx Theta Cluster. But there are signs of extreme alteration."_

"Reapers didn't wipe out the Prothean," Shepard concluded. "They turned them into monsters and enslaved them."

"They're still workin' for the Reapers," Zaeed reminded.

"We have to stop them, regardless,"Karaagreed.

"Damn straight, they're not doing that shit to us!"

"Alright, let's move out before the Collectors come to salvage."

Leaving the pods, Shepard passed by a pile of weapons. It seemed everything on this ship was left around anywhere without thought of order. But the Collectors were just mindless shells now; she doubted interior design was high up on their priorities list.

"We'll would you look at that, an M-Eight Avenger A-Three," Zaeed said with an infectious laugh.

"Let me guess… Jessie," said Garrus.

"Never thought I'd see one of these shitty rifles again."

"You know, half the weapons here don't work. Easier to just buy another."

"You can't buy another Jessie."

Ignoring the bicker, Shepard fished through pile of weapons. Some of them were high quality, others were standard fare.

"An M-Ninety-Eight Widow," Garrus grinned, "I'll take that – might come in handy."

Digging further through the pile, a pistol caught her eye. It had the profile of an M-6 Carnifex, but it was matt black and had a thickened extended barrel that looked like a silencer unit.

Kara picked it up, noting how light it felt. It seemed to be in working condition, but she'd rather test it when she got back to the ship. Stowing away the pistol in her back, she led the team on.

After leaving the claustrophobic hallways, the landing team entered a cavernous area. The sound of bio matter oozing through the pipes and crevices resonated through the area, sending an uneasy felling down her stomach.

"Look, on the ceiling," Garrus pointed.

Shepard looked up. Scores of pods lined the top, some were glowing, and others were black and dull.

"More of those strange pods."

"Must be hundreds," Zaeed said, staring down the halls. "Wonder how many have people in them."

"Too many," said Io.

" _I detect no life inside the pod, Shepard. It is possible that the victims died when the ship lost power,"_ EDI interjected.

" _Hey, Commander, you got to hear this,"_ it was Joker. _"On a hunch, I got EDI to run an analysis on the ship."_

" _I compared the EM profile to the ones recorded by the original_ Normandy _two years ago. They are the exact match,"_ the AI said.

"The same ship dogging me for two years?" Kara growled. "Way beyond coincidence."

" _Something doesn't add up, Commander,"_ Joker said worriedly. _"Watch your back."_

Kara took the landing on her left, and walked up the ramp, following the light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as she left the cave system, she entered a large chamber of titanic proportions.

"This is unbelievable," Garrus murmured, scanning the sightlines.

"They could take every human in the Terminus Systems and still have pods left over," Zaeed said pessimistically.

"They're going to target Earth."

"Not if we stop them," Shepard stated.

Gesturing to her team, Zaeed, Grunt, and Kasumi fanned out, and formed a triangle formation with interlocking fields of fire, around Garrus. This place was big enough to have two armoured columns to fight it out comfortably and still have room for close air support.

Hundreds of thousands if not millions of pods lined the hull, all covered with interlocking networks that Shepard assumed to be similar to the ones she just came in through. There was a lot of wasted space in having a cavern that big, but then again, it removed the need for having a central gravity well. Instead, it would rely on centripetal force to save energy.

Kara kept an eye on her nav marker; she followed it into the direction of the artificial sun – or power core. Eventually, it led her to a down ramp. The data uplink console was located on an octagonal platform, wedged within a number of huge pipes.

"There it is, on the platform… there's a pod there too," said Garrus.

"Something doesn't smell right," Grunt growled, his grip tightening on his rifle. "There aren't any Collectors around. Living or dead."

Kasumi moved to the pod, peering inside.

"We've got something here, you should see this, Shep."

Shepard jogged over to the carapace like coffin and peered in. A man was in there, his face battered, bruised and bloodied. But there was a faint emerald green glow on him, an algorithmic pattern that rolled along his skin, much like the Vis she had encountered.

Bringing up her Omni-tool, she performed a bio scan.

"He's still alive."

"Look, he's an N-Seven," Garrus pointed.

She looked at his dented and battered armour, covered in dirt and streaks of ash. There was a crimson stripe on the tattered sleeves, and the N7 tag on his breastplate.

"How are we going to get him back?" Zaeed asked.

"Can't pop the seal, the atmosphere will kill him," Garrus warned.

"We'll take the pod with us," said Kara.

"I'll push," Grunt offered.

She raised her left arm as her body flared. Wispy violet blue tendrils wrapped around her and the pod, as she lightened the load for Grunt.

"Kasumi, open a terminal to EDI."

"You got it."

The Master Thief jogged over to the console, and uploaded a pre-tailored software.

"EDI, see if you can get anything useful from the databanks," said Shepard.

" _Data mining in progress, Shepard."_

 _Vvvvvzzz_

The power generators whined, looking down at the port, Shepard saw the console winking out of existence.

" _Uuuh, that can't be good,"_ the Flight Lieutenant groaned.

"Everyone's alright, Joker," Shepard reassured. "What just happened?"

" _Major power surge, everything went dark but we're back up now,"_ Moreau answered.

" _I've manage to diverge the majority of the overload to non-critical systems,"_ EDI said _. "Shepard, it was not a malfunction. This was a trap."_

Shepard felt the platform lurch upward, its engines spinning to life.

"We need a little help here, EDI," she said, struggling to maintain balance.

" _I'm having trouble maintaining connection. There's someone else in the system."_

The platform's rotation came to a jarring halt. Zaeed toppled over backward. Garrus was thrown across the console, and Shepard was hurled against the barriers.

"Contact!" she yelled.

Another platform came into sight, coming in from the direction of the light. A squad of Collectors were coming in high and fast.

" _Connection re-established, I need to finish the download before I'm able to override any systems."_

"Better get it done fast, EDI," the N7 muttered, tacking cover behind the barrier. "Garrus, hang back with the pod and pick off the heavies. Zaeed, with me."

"Got it," the old merc complied.

"Affirmative," the turian nodded.

Bringing up her rifle, Shepard aimed for the closet Collector, and squeezed. The insectoid creature shuddered under the hail of indirect fire, before collapsing. Amber blood oozed onto the metal deck as its comrades stepped over it and into the fight.

Zaeed was holding his corner, pouring suppressive fire onto the incoming platforms. Garrus was doing his best to pick them off, but there were just too many, and the field of play just wasn't in their favour.

"You two, hold the left. I'm going to pull them to me. Kasumi, stun the centre."

Taking a deep breath, Kara disappeared into a beam of blue light. She streaked towards a group of Collectors. Her armoured body slammed into the lead alien, immediately disintegrating him. Spinning on her axis, she slammed the butt of her Mattock into another's face, crushing it instantly. A quick flick of her wrist, crushed the last one.

" _Assuming direct control of this form,"_ a deep voice rumbled.

"Great, Harbinger's here," Shepard hissed.

" _This is true power,"_ the Reaper declared.

A drone was lifted into the air as if it was crucified. It's carapace crackled as an orange ember light glowed between the plates.

"Zaeed, concentrate on the other drones. Garrus, take out Harbinger," Shepard ordered.

" _Twenty percent complete."_

"C'mon EDI."

Activating her Omni-tool, she sent an incineration orb at another platform. The orange globe soared through the air, and smashed dead centre. The Collectors were caught within the flame, flailing around helplessly in a futile attempt to extinguish themselves.

"Oh crap! Scion!" Garrus bellowed. "Platform to the front right."

 _Marvellous._

Shepard rose from cover and felt her rifle kick as she emptied an entire clip into the massive creature. The Mattock hissed, overheated and venting steam. Kara retreated back into the safety of the metal slab and slapped in a fresh clip.

The Scion turned to face her, the bullets having done minimal damage. The ominous thump of a shockwave filled her ears, then the next thing she knew, she was in the air. Falling back down, the metal deck rushed up to meet her.

Using her biotics, she doubled back to Garrus's position.

"Zaeed, frag it!" she roared.

The mercenary nodded, pulled a grenade from his bandolier and tossed it. Flying true, the device detonated on impact, engulfing the Scion in a ball of red flame.

"Some things just need a bit of thermite," he smirked.

Collector reinforcements began to thin out as the landing team burned through the waves, slowly turning the tide against them until none was left.

Kara turned back to the console, seeing that it had come back to life, with EDI's chess piece avatar floating in the centre.

"I have regained control of the platform, Shepard."

"New you wouldn't let us down."

"I always work at optimal capacity," the AI said, almost beamingly.

"Did you get what we needed," Kara asked.

The platform lifted off again, this time at a gentler acceleration.

"I found data that would successfully help us navigate the Omega Four Relay. I have also found that the turian distress call that served as the lure for this trap. The Collectors were the source. It is unusual."

"It seems logical that they would've sent the initial message as bait."

"No it is unusual because turian emergency channels have secondary encryptions," EDI said, bringing up a chart comparison on the console. "It is corrupted in the message. It is not possible that the Illusive Man believed the distress call was genuine."

"Why are you so sure?" Shepard asked, taking a step closer to the display.

"I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols," the AI answered. "He wrote them."

" _He knew it was a trap?"_ Joker asked over the TEAMCOM. "Why would he send us into a trap?"

"Not the time for blaming," Shepard said. "We'll question him later."

"Shouldn't have trusted those Cerberus bastards," Zaeed said.

" _Uh, Commander, we've got another problem. The Collector ship is powering up. You need to get out of there before their weapon systems come online."_ Joker urged. _"I'm not losing another_ Normandy _!"_

"I do not have full control of their systems," EDI warned. "But I'll do what I can. Sending coordinates for shuttle extraction."

Shepard turned to her team, reading her weapon.

"C'mon let's move. Garrus, you grab the pod."

"I don't even know how to turn on the damn thing?"

"Carry it, I thought turians were strong!"

"Low blow," the vigilante murmured.

The platform reached a different cave system. Shepard took point, making sure her systems were green. She took a swill from her energy drink, just in case.

"Contact!" she roared. "Garrus, hang back and defend the pod!"

"Affirmative!"

Sprinting up to another metal counter, she took cover as a storm of bullets gnawed away at her position.

"Shit, taking heavy fire."

"Hold on, I got ya," Zaeed grinned.

Tossing another grenade, he turned a fireteam of Collectors into ashes. With the fire easing up on her left side, Shepard switched cover and returned fire. A Collector Drone caught a round in the face. With a gaping hole in the middle of its head, the Prothean derivative toppled over onto the dirt.

" _Assuming control of this form,"_ Harbinger rumbled. _"You cannot stop me. You cannot resist!"_

Kara immediately zoomed in on the nearest drones and took them down quickly. Her Mattock thumped as it spat heavy high velocity rounds at its target. There was one thing she had learnt about fighting Collectors, target the little ones first, so Harbinger can't take control of anything else when it's all alone.

" _You will know pain, Shepard!"_

The Spectre ignored the Reaper's taunts. Focusing her aim, she brought her sights onto Harbinger's head, and squeezed the trigger in rapid succession.

Stumbling back, the Collector form was unable to stand against the combined arms.

"I'm no expert on machine psychology… but I think Harbinger is obsessed with you, Shep," Kasumi smirked.

"Very funny," Kara huffed.

The team made its way through the dimly lit catacombs and reached another room.

" _I'm opening a door on the far side of the room,"_ EDI announced.

"Ah shit, Praetorian comin' our way," Zaeed growled.

"I hate flying crabs… with hundreds of human heads inside of it," Kasumi said.

"Focus fire on it," Shepard ordered. "Zaeed, deal with the Husks. Garrus, use the Widow."

"You got it," Garrus said a bit too happily.

Leaning out of cover in unison, Kara and Kasumi aimed for the massive head. The Praetorian was still in flight, searching for a target while the bullets bounced harmlessly off.

"Make it quick Garrus, it's getting close!"

The behemoth of a creature squawked and roared a mix of machine and warped life.

"Alright, got it, cover your ears."

Shepard and Kasumi quickly retreated back into the safety of the rocks. Garrus brought the weapon to bear on the Praetorian, and fired. The anti-material rifle echoed with a single, thunderous roar. A single bullet left the barrel, vapour trailed behind the bullet as it ran true. The Praetorian's head caved in, its body came crashing into the deck, and slowly disintegrated in a blue flame.

Moving to the open door, Shepard waited for the team to catch up, but it closed on her.

"EDI, we have a problem."

" _A minor setback, rerouting… I have opened a door on the opposite side."_

"Kasumi, cover our six," Shepard ordered. "I'll take point. Zaeed, help Garrus."

"Balls," the mercenary murmured.

"Do you want to move through this hive slowly? Or help me so we can get out faster?" Vakarian added, putting things into perspective.

The team passed through the doors, off to one side was a sheer drop.

"That's where we came in," Garrus said.

"The end's got to be close," said Zaeed.

Hugging cover, the team moved across another mezzanine. Shepard kept her ears clear, listening for any ambushes.

" _Geerraaaughh!"_ came an empty howl.

"Husks! Zaeed, pass me a thermite."

The mercenary tossed her a cylindrical canister from his belt. Kara snatched it with one hand, popped the safeties, and hurled it down the end of the hall. A brilliant ball of flame engulfed area, melting the tech within the husks, and cooking at the dry dead flesh.

" _Geeaarrhuugh!"_

"Heads up, another wave!"

Kasumi quickly moved up, and sprayed the horde with her Tempest. Placing down the pod, Zaeed and Garrus moved up, and emptied their weapons. Grunt held the rear with his shotgun, blasting away at any stragglers coming up on their six.

"Frag out!" he bellowed.

The object sailed through the air, and clattered onto the rocky surface. A split second later, it detonated, ripping the remaining husks asunder and showering the area with gore and shrapnel.

"I think we're clear," Kasumi said.

"Home run, let's finish this," Shepard gestured.

" _Commander! They're weapon systems are coming online! We have to go!_

"Almost at the shuttle," Shepard panted, seeing the Cerberus vessel in sight.

She slapped the console, opening the hatch, and helped move the pod inside.

"Strap in, we're bugging out," Kara ordered.

Wrenching open the hatch, she buckled up into the pilot seat, and engaged the auto-pilot. The shuttle's engines flared to life, pushing the vessel into the blackness. With the homing beacon online, the VI manoeuvred the Kodiak into the _Normandy_ 's hangar bay, coming to a jarring halt.

"We're on board, Joker," Shepard radioed. "Punch it!"

She ran into the elevators, entering the code for the CIC. The platform lurched up, and the doors opened. Sprinting out of the hold, she brushed past a surprised Kelly Chambers and made a beeline for the cockpit.

"EDI, I can't shake this guy off forever, get us the hell out of here," Joker gritted.

"Specify a destination."

"Really?" Kara's jaw dropped.

"Anywhere but here!" Joker answered.

"Engaging mass effect core."

Within a split second, the _Normandy_ disappeared, leaving the Collector ship behind.

"Got a call coming in from the Illusive Man, figured you've got a few words for him too."

"Patch him through to the COM room."

"Got it."

Kara walked towards the rear of the ship, frustration clearly etched into her features. She decided to take her sweet time; she knew the Illusive Man would wait.

Stepping through the doors, she entered the beautifully designed conference room. The redwood timber table in the centre retracted into the floor, allowing Kara to step on the glass surface. Orange grids ran across her form, scanning for possible bugs.

An image of the Head of Cerberus appeared in front of her. He was sitting in his chair, with a cigarette in one hand, and a drink in the cup holder. His luminous green eyes stood out against the dim lighting on his face.

" _Shepard, looks like EDI extracted some interesting data before that Collector ship came back online,"_ the Illusive Man began nonchalantly.

"EDI told us that the distress call originated from the Collectors," Kara said sharply. "You betrayed us! Just like I knew you would."

" _We're at war,"_ the Head of Cerberus justified. _"The Collectors are taking humans and every minute we make is one more we give the enemy to prepare."_

"I know the stakes," Kara said, not backing down. "But we're supposed to be on the same side, and I can't trust you."

" _Without that information we don't reach the Collector homeworld. And you and ever human may as well be dead."_

He tapped some of the ash off from his cigarette, and got up from his seat.

" _It was a trap. I was confident in your abilities, and don't forget EDI. The Collectors couldn't have anticipated her."_

"You could've told me the plan," Shepard rebutted. "You say I'm important, but you sure try hard to get me killed."

" _I needed the Collectors to believe they had the upper hand,"_ the Illusive Man countered. _"Telling you could've tipped them off in any number of ways. Besides, I wouldn't have sent you in if didn't think you would succeed."_

 _Sweet talker,_ Kara thought sarcastically.

"I don't risk people," she said, folding her arms. "There are always alternatives."

" _You wouldn't like the receiving end, neither would I. But the facts are with me," he reminded her. "As much as we try to avoid them, these decisions need to be made."_

Returning to his seat, the Illusive Man crossed one leg over the other.

" _But more importantly, it paid off. EDI confirmed our suspicions."_

He took a drag from his cigarette, and swapped hands, before tapping it into an ash tray.

" _The Reapers and Collector ships use an advance identify friend foe system that the relays recognise. All we need to do is get our hands on one of those IFFs."_

"I was just on the Collector Ship," Kara growled, leaning back and unfolding her arms. "Are you kidding me? Why didn't you say anything about finding their IFF."

" _As I said, EDI just confirmed it," the Illusive Man said, patronisingly. "Besides, you wouldn't have time to find and extract it. But we have options."_

"I'm listening."

" _An Alliance Science Team recently determined that the great rift on the planet Klendagon is actually an impact greater from a mass accelerator weapon."_

The Head of Cerberus picked up a glass of brownish green liquid, and downed it in one gulp.

" _A very old mass accelerator. I sent a team to find either the weapon or its target. They found both. The weapon was defunct but it helped us plot the flight path at the intended target… a thirty-seven million year old derelict Reaper."_

Shifting in his seat, he continued. _"We found it trapped in the gravity of a brown dwarf."_

"Aren't brown dwarves basically stars that didn't quite make it?"

" _Simply put but accurate,"_ he said, nodding. _"They're gas giants that don't have quite the masses of stars. Expect gale force winds and extremely high temperatures. The Reaper has a mass effect field that keeps it in orbit, likely an automated response to the external threats. It's stable, but I won't call it safe."_

"I saw what Sovereign did to the Citadel Fleet, hard to imagine anything stopping something that powerful."

" _This battle was waged when mammals took their first steps on Earth. There's no trace of species that took the shot, perhaps it was their one moment of defiance before being wiped out."_

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't a fly through get and go?"

" _We lost contact with Doctor Chandana's team shortly after they boarded. Initial reconnaissance reveals clues and it was too risky to commit more resources,"_ the Illusive Man frowned, taking another puff. _"Now we need that IFF. I'll forward the coordinates to Joker. In the meantime, I suggest you tell your crew that I didn't risk their lives unnecessarily, it will make things easier going forward."_

Shepard turned to a plinth where the shipboard AI would normally appear.

"EDI tell the team to assemble. We've got a lot to talk about."

"Of course, Shepard."

" _And keep me posted about your new member; I look forward to meeting him when he wakes up."_

Kara frowned; he always had eyes and ears everywhere on this ship.

The link to the Illusive Man was terminated. Kara stepped back onto the metal deck as the room returned to its normal position.

"Shepard, Doctor Chakwas requests that you be observing the medbay, she says that it is urgent."

"Guess the meeting can wait."

"Yes, Commander."

…

 **Aboard** _ **Normandy SR-2**_

Kara paced along the outside of her medbay, looking worriedly at the glowing N7 Officer on the operating table.

Miranda, Doctor Chakwas, and Doctor Solus were working overtime to keep him alive and it looked like their efforts were working. His skin was covered in geometric patterns that reminded her of advance circuitry – it was all pulsating with emerald light. The pattern faded away, revealing the pale flesh beneath, only to return a moment later.

Moving to the table in the mess hall, she eased herself into the polymorph material, and let her eyes adjust to the amber and blue glow of her surroundings.

Miranda moved away from the console, and then stepped through the sterilisation field before exiting the medbay. She was cradling something in her gloved hands, dog tags by the looks of it. She had a puzzled look on her face as she approached the Spectre.

"Shepard," Lawson began. "You don't have any extended family, do you?"

"No," Kara answered, shaking her head. "Why?"

The Cerberus Operative walked around the table, her heels gently clicking against the metal deck. With grace and elegance, she placed the dog tags on the grey surface.

Kara's dark brown eyes looked at the charred metal.

"Shepard, Adam," she said. "There're a lot of Shepards in the Alliance, Lawson."

"We ran a DNA test, no matches with yours."

Picking up the tags, Shepard turned them over, and saw the revered symbol of the Alliance's best.

"And there's something else," Miranda added. "He's been rebuilt… as in, Lazarus Project, rebuilt."

"What?" Shepard was taken back, she gestured for her XO to sit down.

Easing herself onto the cushioning of the dinning chair, Miranda activated her Omni-tool and showed a feed to the bio monitors.

"I'd recognise my work anywhere," she said with a hint of pride. "Enhanced muscle density, increased bone density, increased skin toughness, cybernetic implants to support the body… L-Five-X Biotic Implants… everything."

Kara leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table top.

"His cells the cybernetics are far more advanced than anything we've seen."

"Injuries?"

"Moderate contusions and light burns, the skin on his arms and hand has fused to the suit."

Shepard cringed inwardly.

"But he should be back on his feet soon."

"Okay, I'm going to call Anderson and look into this."

Miranda gave a curt nod and returned to the medbay.

Shepard made her way to her quarters, and upon reaching her desk, she opened her private terminal. Entering the call commands, she waited as dial tone droned through the speakers.

" _Hello, Shepard,"_ the middle aged man greeted, a weary smile appearing on the screen.

"Hello Anderson. I need a favour."

" _Go ahead."_

"Can you do a check on Adam Shepard, service number, seven-eight-eight-three-AC-two-five-six-four."

" _Staff Lieutenant Adam Winston Shepard, Navy. Graduated from the Naval Academy with a Suma Cum Laude,"_ Anderson said without missing a beat _. "KIA four years ago. Posthumously awarded the Star of Terra. He_ _was Alenko's Task Force CO."_

Now she remembered.

"Highest ranking Navy N-Seven to be killed while on active duty."

" _Yes_ ," Anderson said solemnly.

She remembered Kaidan talking about it during a night of drinking.

"What if I told you he was in my medbay right now?"

Anderson's surprise was left unmasked as his eyes widened.

" _You don't joke about these things, Shepard."_

"We found a heavily injured N-Seven Officer in a Collector ship. Chakwas says he's going to make it."

A puzzled expression crossed Anderson's features.

" _Alenko said he saw the Lieutenant bleed out."_

"But he also said that they buried empty caskets."

" _How long until you can make it back to the Citadel?"_

"A few hours."

" _Good, meet me at my office, take the Lieutenant with you."_

"Yes sir."

" _Anderson out."_

The link was terminated, leaving Shepard alone with her thoughts. How did an N7 Lieutenant end up on a Collector ship? How did he survive for the past four years, but have access to L5X implants? Miranda also said that there were signs that he had been rebuilt by Project Lazarus.

"Shepard, Doctor Chakwas wishes to inform you that Lieutenant Shepard is regaining consciousness."

…

The bed was soft; the sheets were clean and smooth. Maybe he was in a hospital. He couldn't think straight. His mind was too clouded, his senses too hazy, and memory too distant.

 _Earth, Reapers, Crucible – Catalyst, Illusive Man, Anderson…_

 _Anderson!_

"Anderson!" he croaked. "Where's Anderson!"

"Who?"

That voice, it sounded familiar. It was old, maternal. Adam wasn't quite sure.

"David Anderson!" he repeated.

He couldn't see. His vision was out of focus.

"Administer a sedative! Quickly, Lieutenant going into shock!" a high pitched voice rapid fired.

"No!" Adam groaned.

"Take it easy, Lieutenant. You're safe," said another.

There was an accent to it that he couldn't quite name, but the voice was familiar.

"Anderson! Is he alive?" Adam roared hoarsely. His head turned sluggishly, trying to focus on the woman in his sight.

But everything was just too unfocused.

"Take a deep breath Lieutenant," the woman said again.

Then the world faded to black.

…

Kara had watched everything unfold from behind the windows. She had heard the Lieutenant's panicked cries, the wild fear in his unfocused eyes as he moved sluggishly. Adam kept asking for Anderson, but for what, Kara wasn't too sure. Adam's voice was hoarse and garbled, his body still far too battered to be of any use. Whatever the Collectors had put him through; he was still living in its hell.

" _He's stable again,"_ Chakwas said.

" _Allow medication to be neutralised,"_ Mordin interrupted. _"Dulled senses and panicked reaction, side effect of previous cocktail."_

Pressing down on the intercom, Shepard spoke into the microphone.

"Mind if join you?"

" _Not at all, Commander,"_ Mordin answered.

Shepard rounded the corner, and passed through the massive doors. She decided to stand by Chakwas's desk, and watch over the Lieutenant.

"He's waking," Miranda said, monitoring vitals.

Adam opened his eyes, and blinked in quick succession. His gaze darted around the room as a confused and frustrated frown formed across his features.

"Hold on Lieutenant, I'll raise the bed."

The soft whirr of motors filled the room as the bed moved Adam into an upright position. He looked down on his glowing bandaged arms. His frown morphed into wide eyes, agape mouth and a tense jaw. He appeared almost mesmerised by the pulsating emerald patterns that ran along his body.

He then looked up, his confusion replaced by shock.

"I'm dead, right?"

Kara tilted her head quizzically.

"I saw you both die," Adam said.

"Saw who die?" Miranda questioned as she stepped to his bedside.

"You, and Mordin," he said barely above a whisper.

His head began to swivel around the room again. His heart rate was picking up.

"Easy, Lieutenant, easy," Miranda placated.

Kara decided to step forward. His blue eyes focused on her, and then on her uniform. Everyone had been cautious enough not to wear anything with a Cerberus Emblem on it.

"What's the last thing you remember, Lieutenant?"

"Why are you calling me that?" he asked, confused.

His voice was getting clearer now. Kara could hear the clipped accent coming through.

"What's the last thing you remember, Lieutenant?"

Adam's eyebrows knotted together as he looked back to his sheets.

"I was with Anderson on the Citadel, we'd just… we just threw Illusive Man into a power spire… and then everything came down around us. That's all I remember."

"What were you doing on the Citadel?" Kara pressed.

Adam looked at her, and looked at her as if she'd just grown another head.

"Opening an interface between the Citadel and the Crucible?"

"What's the Crucible?"

Adam pulled back, eyeing the people in the room warily.

"Where's Anderson? What the hell's going on?"

All eyes turned to Kara.

"It's your call, Commander," Miranda said.

Adam didn't say anything, but she could feel his eyes bore into her. Kara moved to the bedside, and placed a hand on the side railings.

"Who're you?"

"Commander Kara Shepard?"

"We related?" Adam asked quickly.

Kara shook her head.

"We found you on a Collector ship. You were in bad shape," she explained.

"But, they're dead," he said, confused.

"What do you mean, they're dead?"

"Where's Anderson?" Adam clamped.

"You gotta work with me, Lieutenant."

"Why are you calling me that?"

"That's you're rank. Isn't it?"

Things weren't getting any easier on Adam. His mind and memories must still be scrambled.

"Lieutenant, you were listed as KIA four years ago. You died during Operation Bluebird."

"No," Adam shook his head. "Kaidan and I were the only ones to get out."

"No, Lieutenant. Kaidan was the only one to make it out."

Adam glared at Kara with suspicion.

"Where's Anderson?" he repeated.

"He's on the Citadel," Kara answered.

"It's not destroyed?"

"What are you talking about, Lieutenant?"

"The Crucible and the Citadel fired, when we threw the Illusive Man into the Spire. We did it to end the war."

Kara could see the look of pity Miranda gave. Chakwas stood further back, with a hand resting on her chin. Adam seemed to be hallucinating. Four years of hell in the Collectors' grasp.

"Let's start from the top," Kara suggested. "What did the Collectors do to you?"

"I don't know," he answered softly.

"Do you want something to eat?" Kara asked, changing the subject.

"Sure," Adam breathed, uneasily.

…

Anderson was still alive, and his arms – no, his entire body was covered in pulsating emerald patterns. Then it work, didn't it? To an extent. His choice on the Citadel – it was real. It had to be real. He saw it all. He was there, but there was Miranda and Mordin, alive and well.

They had no idea who he was, and neither did Chakwas.

"What year, is it?" he asked.

"Twenty-one eighty-five," Chakwas answered.

Adam closed his eyes and dragged in a deep breath. This had to be some kind of cruel joke. It just had to be. Time travel was impossible, Miranda's alive, and so is Mordin.

"Where am I?"

"Normandy."

"Figures," Adam muttered. "Built by Cerberus?"

"How'd you know that?" Miranda asked quickly.

Adam gave a small tired smile.

"Lucky guess," he answered.

He exhaled and leaned back into the bed. Miranda soon left, leaving him alone with Chakwas.

…

"Lieutenant Shepard appears confused, disoriented," Mordin said. "Appears familiar with myself, and Ms Lawson – most troubling."

"I know," Kara concurred. "I don't like it. What are you thinking?"

"Ludicrous conjecture, kidnapping, and eventual trade to Collectors. Collectors known for unusual genetic request. Possible that Lieutenant met prerequisites."

"What's… what's with the glow?"

"Presumed isotopic or high-energy radiation, but tests revealed not nefarious. Glowing pattern not superficial, and subsides after short time."

"So it stops?"

"Yes," the scientist nodded. "Unknown correlation, however. Possible bi-products of Collector experiments."

"Thanks Mordin, keep me posted."

"Of course, Commander."

Mordin returned to the lab, and Kara picked up the tray of food she left on the counter. As soon as she returned to the medbay, she instantly noticed that the glowing had disappeared.

"It's some kind of gumbo – asari dish," she said.

She placed it on the slide in table, and took in Adam's features again.

There were a few small scars on his face, and his eyes had returned to a natural blue.

"Thank you," he said, and gingerly picked up the fork.

Kara brought a chair over to his bedside, and then pulled the privacy blinds.

"How'd you know this ship was Cerberus?"

"Miranda told you that, huh?"

Kara nodded.

Adam swallowed down the morsel of food, and mulled over how to continue the conversation. She watched him intently, waiting for any slips or tell-tale signs in his body.

"From the start."

"Last I remembered, it was twenty-one eighty-six," Adam began.

Kara decided to remain quiet.

"The Reapers had taken Earth, and we were making a final push to activate a superweapon. We were running blind. We had no idea what the weapon would do. I lead an assault to get into the Citadel, so we the superweapon – the Crucible – could dock. The Illusive Man was waiting for us when Anderson and I got on board. He shot Anderson, and then I shot him."

A small self-satisfied smile appeared on Adam's lips, but was soon replaced by a haunted grimness.

"It turns out; an AI in the Citadel – the Catalyst – controls the Reapers. It offered me a choice. To purge the galaxy of all synthetics, take control of the Reapers, or join organics and synthetics into a new hybrid."

"You chose the last one," Kara deducted.

"Yes," Adam said heavily.

"We threw Illusive Man into the spire. Then the Citadel began to tear itself apart, and now I'm here."

"So you're from the future."

"I guess. It's eighty-five, right?"

"It is," Kara confirmed.

"How'd you know this ship was Cerberus built?"

"Because I got spaced when the first one was destroyed by the Collectors. Then Cerberus spent a few billion creds to bring me back."

"What?" Kara said quickly, though lacking in any aggression.

"Figures… happened to you, Lazarus, right?"

Kara nodded.

"Maybe I'm from an alternate reality," Adam suggested. "And you're off to fight the Collectors, like I did, right?

He didn't sound like he believed himself.

"So what you're saying is; you're me," Kara supplied

"Kinda. Born in London. Went to…"

"Royal, with Kaiden."

"Yeah," Adam nodded. "He told you?"

"Yes."

"Did he tell you about, Sarah?" Adam asked, almost hopeful.

"I'm sorry, but she didn't make it."

Adam leaned back and exhaled a wearied sigh.

"If you're saying you went through what I went through," Kara began. "Or that I'll go through what you went through… then you know how this ends."

"Yes, it shouldn't be too different. You want my help, only… you don't trust me."

"Yeah. You were dead for four years, and then we find you on a Collector ship."

"You think I'm a spy?"

"I don't know, are you?" Kara countered with a slight edge in her tone.

"I don't know what to think," Adam argued. "I don't know if I'm ready to do it all again."

She'd seen that look so many times. Battle fatigue. It was a heavy weariness that just wouldn't go away for a long time.

"I'll let you get some rest, Lieutenant."

"Thanks."

Leaving the medbay, Kara called everyone into the conference room via PA. She quickly mashed the elevator console, and silently cursed the ship designers for not bothering to have stairs, or another elevator. When the lift came, she quickly entered, and disembarked on the next floor.

The team had taken their respective places. It seemed Miranda had clued everyone in already. The Cerberus Agent stepped aside for Shepard to take the head table.

"So," Jacob started. "We got an N-Seven in our medbay – who seems to know a lot more than he should."

"Yeah, he does," Kara confirmed.

"I don't like it," Grunt interjected. "He smells _wrong_ for a human."

"We talked. We think he's an alternate future version of me."

"Run that one by me again," Kasumi said.

"He knows things about me, this ship. He claims to have done something similar."

"I don't like it. Could be a trap," Jacob suggested, folding his arms.

"I doubt it," Miranda gestured. "First time he woke, there was enough meds in his body to make him unfocused. Unless he's a good actor, I think there's some 'truth' to what he's saying."

"This man was on the Collector ship," said Garrus. "He could be a plant. Or they might've done something to him."

A paused settled down on the group, some shifted uneasily, while others were lost in deep thought.

"Should we plug him, or trust him?" Zaeed put it bluntly.

"He has not done anything untoward us," Samara placated. "It would be best to give the Lieutenant the benefit of the doubt."

"Anderson wants to see him, so, we take him to Anderson," Kara said.

"Anything else?" Miranda asked.

That woman was sometimes too astute for Shepard's liking.

"It can wait," she said.

…

 **Aboard SSV** _ **Normandy**_ **en route to the Citadel Docks**

Adam felt the _Normandy_ shift beneath him, as Joker steered it into an arrival cue. He gazed out of the observation window, trying to identify the class and make of the ships that floated by.

"You're troubled," Thane Krios said, interrupting his thoughts.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Adam asked. "Everything Kara's been through, so have I and more."

"It's not the belief, is it? It's what you've seen."

"Yes," Adam said, exhaling.

His leg bounced lightly, almost like a tick. He placed a hand on his knee, forcing himself to breathe.

"It is overwhelming, but we all have a purpose, a path."

"You once told me, that you do what you do, because you are tool that is to rid evil."

"Sounds like something I would say," Thane agreed.

The drell assassin leaned back into the sofa, and slipped into a comfortable silence.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere more, arid?" Adam said, breaking the quiet.

"I thought you might like some company."

"Not if it comes at the cost of whatever time you have left."

"Kepral's Syndrome kills slowly… and this mission, may very well kill us sooner."

"You'll make it," Adam reassured. "Besides, I've got Kasumi here."

A small satisfied smile appeared on Shepard's lips as he felt a presence decloak behind him.

"How'd you know I was here?"

Adam said nothing, but looked at Kasumi and gave a wry grin. He missed working with her.

"I'll take my leave, then," Thane said, departing.

Kasumi took a seat next to the N7 operative, and crossed her legs in an elegant fashion.

"What do you mean by everything femshep's been through?"

"Femshep?" Adam gave her a quizzical look.

"Can't call her Kara now, can I?" she asked rhetorically.

"Chakwas talked to you, didn't she?"

Kasumi gave him a questioning look.

"Back in my time, or reality, she refused to call me, Adam."

Goto nodded in understandingly.

"That make sense," she said. "So, Femshep."

"She helped you get Keji's greybox? The one with information that could start a war?"

Kasumi balked, her eyes shot wide open.

"How'd you know that?"

"Has she helped you get it back from Hock?"

"No… not yet. So you've done this then. You helped other me, get it."

"Yes," Adam affirmed. "Got you your memories of Keji back."

Kasumi picked up the wistful tone.

"Did you have someone special?"

"Yeah, Sarah. I…"

Before Adam could finish, the observation doors parted open, and revealed Kara in casual clothing.

"There's too much traffic right now, so we'll take a shuttle."

…

 **Shuttle**

Over the years, Kara had become adept at reading body language. It was what made her such a good officer, and a candidate for Intelligence before Anderson swooped in on the _Normandy_. She didn't need long to learn someone's patterns and behaviours, and she knew instantly that Kasumi was not her chirpy self.

Adam must've said something, something about Goto that hit close to home – but not in any way nefarious. If she had to take a guess, Kara would ballpark it along the lines of a mission Kasumi wanted to do.

 _He's got an aura, like you do_ , Kasumi messaged. _He's seen things._

 _What'd he tell you?_ Kara replied.

 _He knows about the greybox, and what's inside._

 _You believe him then?_

 _Hard not to. Play 20 questions. Maybe you'll find some out._

"I'm right here," Adam said aloud.

All eyes turned on him.

"Thought you'd be more subtle," he said to Goto.

"Hey, I'm on your side," Kasumi said lightly.

The shuttle touched down at Customs. The heavy doors parted open, filling the air with the sound of travellers making their way. Stepping out of the shuttle, Kara quickly panned her eyes for any threats before moving on. Adam was right behind her, mirroring her actions before falling in line as they approached a security checkpoint.

Kara was the first to walk through the checkpoint, and then turned around to watch Adam.

" _Error!"_ the security system blared.

"I swear to God. I didn't touch anything!" Kasumi cried.

"It's not your fault ma'am," said the turian customs officer. "It's just Staff Lieutenant Shepard here."

"I was listed as KIA, came to fix up a few things," Adam supplied.

"Of course, sir," the Officer said before waving him through.

Adam joined Kara on the other side, she noticed his steps still had a ginger limp to them, but he was doing a good job at hiding it.

"Bet he's done that before," Adam joked, referring to the customs officer.

"A lot, I'll say."

"Bailey did say a lot of tax dodgers come through here."

The hint was definitely not subtle; Adam knew more than he let on. She doubted he was going to say much though, it probably sounded insane not that it didn't already. Still, once they got to Anderson, the more likely this whole _incident_ would be resolved. Honestly, Kara didn't know what outcome she was expecting, but she hoped that making sense of Adam would be part of it, and maybe just maybe, he'd be a solution too.

…

" _It is rare to meet these kinds of heroes in our lives, rarer still to be a mother of one. And like any mother, I wished it wasn't my son who answered this higher calling, but he did. I'd never been so scared in my life._

 _There were so many sleepless nights, fearing that the worst had happened when he didn't call or leave a message. Nothing ever prepares you for the loss of your child._

 _He died to allow us to continue the life we have, to protect the people of this young nation._

 _We owe a debt to the men and women like him, people among us who stand ready in the night._

 _Adam, I miss you so much. Your family, your brothers and sisters, everyone who was lucky enough to have been part of your extraordinary life will miss you. You've earned your peace."  
_ _ **Eulogy to Staff Lieutenant Adam Shepard  
by Captain Hannah Shepard**_

 **XXxxXX**

 **A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed that.**

 **Many thanks to Lady Pryde for consultation.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


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